A kid with nothing to lose decides the card shop that saved him is worth saving back. Shinemon's desperation isn't played for laughs, every duel matters because he's fighting for something real, not just rank or pride. The Shinemon arc finally gives Vanguard what it was always missing: a protagonist who has something to lose beyond the next match.

Ten years before Aichi Sendou and Toshiki Kai are reunited, Card Capital, the card shop run by the Tokura family, is close to going under. Then Esuka Hibino, owner of a major card shop, makes a move to take the store over. To protect Card Capital, Shinemon Nitta steps forward and names himself its manager, a role he is destined to hold for real in the future. The story mixes action and adventure with comedy as he stands up for the shop.